Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: anderson@prl.dec.com Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Dieppe Raid Message-ID: <1990Jul25.004855.7480@cbnews.att.com> Date: 25 Jul 90 00:48:55 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 33 Approved: military@att.att.com From: anderson@prl.dec.com >From: "Robert F. Kieran" > I recall three major points with regard to the raid on Dieppe: > > 1. The drydock here was one of the largest in Europe, and the only one on >the French coast which could handle the Tirpitz, the largest warship >afloat at that time. (56,000 tons comes to mind, but I may be mistaken). >If the drydock could be knocked out, the operational range of the Tirpitz >could be restricted, as she would have to return to Germany for any >substantial repair work. The Canadians rammed the drydock gates with an >old destroyer loaded with explosives, which they detonated with great >effect. The dock was out of commission for the duration. This was not the Dieppe raid, rather it was a commando raid on St. Nazaire, France. The commandos rammed the Campbelltown (sp ?), an old destroyer, into the drydock. The explosives in the ship were wired with delayed action timers, so it wasn't until the next day that they went off. (The book where I read this had a great picture taken by the Germans of people milling around the ship minutes before the explosives went off). The commandos also raided some of the shore facilities around the drydock. You were correct when you wrote that the drydock was put out of commission for the duration of the war; as I recall, the Tirpitz didn't put to sea again after the raid. Also, I have some doubt that the Tirpitz was the largest warship afloat; I believe that at least the Yamoto was bigger. Sorry I couldn't provide the reference for this information, but the book is 6000 miles away... Craig Anderson craig@cs.washington.edu